Castelleone, Sanctuary of the Vergin of the Mercy

This sanctuary was erected in the XVI century (between 1513 and 1516) by the architect Agostino de Fondutis of Crema and completed in 1525.
According to the tradition, in 1511, while Castelleone was affected by a terrible famine, the Vergin appeared on May 11th to the widow Domenica Zanenga, who prayed for the town's fate; derided by the citizens, Domenica had another vision, which made her dumb and crippled. After this event the inhabitants of Castelleone changed their minds and raised a small church in honour of the Vergin of the Mercy.
The sanctuary has a Latin cross plan with the addition of an entrance- span of 1910, which reflects almost faithfully the original Remaissance style; the element which mostly stands out is the dome by Bramante with 13 sides rich in decorations typical of the Renaissance.
The interior with a nave with sail-shaped vaults is marked by refined cornices in cotto.
Of great interest are the frescoes of the tambour, representing "Christ and the apostles", with references to the style of Bramantino; this work has a curious aspect, you will find in fact the portrait of the apostle Paolo instead of the figure of Giuda; noteworthy are then the frescoes of the four evangelists, by Pietro Mariani (XVIII c); finally you can admire two paintings by Angelo Bacchetta dating back to 1862 and depicting the "Deposition and Resurrection of Christ".